Santa Anita Park

It would be tough to top the hype that surrounded last year's running of the Santa Anita Handicap. But the possibility of Bayern, California Chrome and Shared Belief running in this year's edition on March 7 might just top the hoopla regarding last year's race.

Two of the past three Santa Anita Derby champions also went on to win the Kentucky Derby, and there's a reasonable chance the trend could continue in 2015 if a talented crop of Southland 3-year-olds can avoid the usual pitfalls found along the grueling Triple Crown trail.

My heart is racing in anticipation, but not because it's Christmas time.Dec. 26 is the traditional opening day at Santa Anita. As a foodie, I get double the excitement. Picking horses is pretty tough with so many to choose from, and I feel the same way about dining at the track.

Mathis Brothers Furniture has forged a new partnership with Santa Anita Park. The Grade II Sir Beaufort Stakes will now be run as the “Grade ll Mathis Brothers Mile” on opening day of the track's Winter Meet on Dec. 26.

It's well known to most Santa Anita Park horse racing fans who the top big-money race trainers are. Names like Bob Baffert, John Sadler and Jerry Hollendorfer roll off the tongue with ease when the discussion comes up.

The day begins in the backstretch of Santa Anita Park in the middle of the night.Many of the nearly 1,000 men and women who live and work at the track rise around 3:30 a.m. to prepare for the morning workout when the track opens 90 minutes later.